Post your Dutcher Brick Wall here:

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Randy C on July 14, 2009 at 5:31pm

Hi I'm Randy,

I trace my Dutcher line back to my ggggrandfather John Dutcher, all I know about him is what my Greatgrandmother wrote down in an interview that she did with my Ggrandfather in about 1930. John Dutcher was said to have died in the "Gold rush to California in 1858". and "he married Lydia Westcott, date of marriage unknown"

Not much to go on, but I am glad to have those 3 scraps of tablet paper, they are probably one of the big reasons I got trapped in this hobby.

In 1850 I have found Lydia Dutcher living with her parents, brother and her and John's first born, William Oscar, in Perrysburg, Wood Co. Ohio. No sign of John in 1850.

In 1860 I have Lydia with more children in Liberty/Damascus, Henry Co., Ohio and Providence, Lucas Co., Ohio, and of course no John.

I'm thinking that possibly John and Lydia may have been married before migrating to Ohio? Lydia's father is Palmer, and there seem to only be a couple of Palmers floating around at the time. The family may have come from Wayne Co. New York or Southern Michigan, or both, or neither.

Permalink Reply by Darle Taylor on September 25, 2009 at 8:22pm

Hi Randy,

School got started and I've been swamped myself with work. I haven't gotten onto my yahoo account for a while and hadn't seen your reply. Supposedly the father of my Thomas Dutcher was John Dutcher (Johannis Dutcher). He also reportedly had a brother named John Dutcher. My Thomas Dutcher and his supposed brother John Dutcher were supposed to have been born in Cherry Valley, New York. Later, Thomas Dutcher moved to settle a new area in Boylston, New York. At one point in the 1830's he joined the Mormon faith and I have documented him traveling around as an Elder for the church and preaching/baptizing others. He is in Kirtland, Ohio at a church meeting and I have found he lived in Garretsville (not sure of the county here), Paris, (Portage Co.), and Nelson (Portage Co.), Ohio. I have found a letter at Brigham Young University's special collection department written in response to Thomas Dutcher - apparently he was wanting to go west with the rest of the Mormons but due to some sickness and a death in the family he was unable to go follow Brigham Young at that time (letter dated in 1847 and mailed to Garretsville, Ohio). Thomas Dutcher had a son named Thomas P. Dutcher who went with the Mormon Battalion. He mustered out in California as the rest of the members did and was working with other Mormon Battalion men at Sutter's Mill when gold was discovered there. Thomas P. Dutcher mined for gold for a while before returning back to the Ohio area. He later married and settled in Wisconsin. Thomas Dutcher married a widow in Ohio and is found on the 1850 Census with her in Nelson, Portage Co., Ohio. My assumption has been that the illness and death in his family mentioned must have been his first wife since I have not been able to find any further information on her. I am currently trying to find a cemetery or burial record of her in that area.
Folks have three different theories for the father of Thomas Dutcher - all of them being a John Dutcher. I am working now on determining which one is correct. There is a John Dutcher in Cherry Valley (wife is Sylvia Beardsley) who had a son named John Dutcher, but I can't find that this family had a son named Thomas. Another person believes that a John Dutcher and Lois Washburn are the parents of Thomas but they were never in Cherry Valley as far as I can tell and the well documented Dutcher article does not include a son named Thomas. Another theory is that one of these two John Dutchers had a second wife or mistress named Esther. Thomas' daughter, Esther Dutcher Smith's family have the story that Esther was named after her grandmother. so, this would fit that family tradition. So, that's where I'm at - working on finding some kind of evidence for one of these parents of my Thomas Dutcher.

Permalink Reply by Dawn Hedrick on February 6, 2010 at 9:02am

My name is Dawn and I have been researching the Dutcher line for years. I have my line proved back to Samuel Dutcher born Feb 2, 1812. I think his parents are Levi Dutcher and Elizabeth Hutchinson; however, I have no proof. Most of my research on this line has been in Ohio.

Permalink Reply by Randy C on February 6, 2010 at 10:06am

I don't suppose your Samuel had a brother named John?

Permalink Reply by Dawn Hedrick on February 7, 2010 at 12:51pm

No, sorry... no brother named John; however, he would have an uncle named Johannes born 12 Oct 1779 in Poughkeepsie, NY. What year was your John born?